Sunday, June 04, 2006

Musings from the gym

For about a year or so, I've been keeping a workout diary to keep track of my progress at the gym. It's a 6x4" memo book, perfect for keeping in my pocket. Since it's always handy, I've also found it a great tool for writing down thoughts while I'm riding my bike to/from the gym or while I'm there. Some of them later turn into poems or articles. I recently dug through a number of the little books to see if any of the thoughts might be worth sharing.

June 2006:

The power of unthorough observation: Arriving at the gym, I saw a tall, scrawny guy with a thoroughly unkempt beard working out diligently at the various exercise machines. When I left, I ran into a tall, less scrawny guy with a neater beard. Not bothering with details like confirming it was the same guy, I concluded that spending time in the gym really works. Results from statistics and research probably probably work like that, too, sometimes.

I find myself awed by nature, every time without fail. We are nature too, despite our antics of civilization and technology. I find it impossible to separate us from it.

Nature was the first modeler of art. We created our own art in our desire to possess a facsimile.

May 2006:

At my gym, I saw a woman wearing many adornments, particularly a prominent collection of diamond engagement rings worn on many fingers, but not on her ring finger. I retreated hurriedly, her display reminding me of a collection of staked skulls displayed outside the village to frighten away intruders. Fear of meeting a similar fate is a strong deterrent in any situation!

For some surely important reason, I watched a TV program about the loss of fertility in women as the age. According to the program, by age 45, there is a less than 1% chance of a woman conceiving, because those little eggs are just tired. The next morning in the gym I noticed a very athletic young woman in her 20s working out on a treadmill for what seemed like hours. I couldn't help picturing her eggs just bounding with energy! For the the rest of my workout, I caught myself speculating about the condition of the eggs of the women in my gym. If the producers of that program only knew how much influence TV can have.

If crows were $2 each, I'd probably buy several. Something would probably have to be done about storing them safely, though.

May 2006:

I did an hour's worth of cardio on this one machine. When I was done, two hours had passed. I never could figure out how the heck I did that.

A Stairmaster is a mechanical manifestation of Zen practice. Each moment is a separate universe of "now" that seemingly stretches on forever. Especially on the higher settings. If only moments not spent on the Stairmaster could be that timeless.

February 2006:

I've gotten used to seagulls dropping shells on the bike path, since it cracks them open and saves wear and tear on their beaks. This morning, however they were dropping bread on the path! Someone's going to have to coach them. And their flying is off, too!

September 2005: Grad school gets long...

Designing job performance evaluations for crows. How would they differ from evaluations for seagulls?

Several years into grad school, I increasingly remind myself of the corner of 7th & Redondo Avenue where crews are always working on something: Great if ever finished, but always under construction.

At the gym:Drinking water and missing my mouth...Humanness: A Flawed ToolDoing squats in the "cage", others looking on: Am I the lion, or the monkey?

July 2005:

In the garagethe body heatof cars

Summer skin: The wind on my thighs.

Office Plaza, weekdays:Paths crossing like insects,drawing nectar from the same flowerover and over

May 2005:

I went to run the stairs, and found the customary group of pigeons at the bottom, pecking for food in the sand. Since they're always there, I now call them "The Eternal Birdfaces." Hard exertion can do neat things to inspiration!

April 2005:

Dragging the tired carcass into the gym: The purpose for exercise could be the joy in using my body. Now that's a novel thought!